The 50-Year Club consists of physicians who graduated from medical school at least 50 years ago and who are committed to the advancement of medicine.

Dr. de Forster was born in Mexico and received her medical degree from the National University of Mexico in Mexico City in 1954. She began her medical career at the General Hospital of Mexico in Mexico City. In 1957, she left her position as chief of the gas chromatography lab and came to Baptist Memorial Hospital in San Antonio for resident physician studies.

Dr. de Forster returned to Mexico two years later to train at the Brain Research Institute and went on to work as director of the electroencephalography lab at the Dr. Velasco Suarez National Institute of Neurology. Dr. de Forster said she considers this a privilege because she was involved in researching medications that are used today and in studying deep brain electrode stimulation in behavior, violence epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.

In 1977, she moved to San Antonio to start her graduate training in psychiatry. She received her medical license from the Texas Medical Board in 1983. In 1985, she joined Bexar County Mental Health and Mental Retardation, where she worked until her retirement in October 2003. She continues to practice as a locum tenens, filling in for other physicians on a temporary basis.

She has been active in her profession as a member of the Bexar County Medical Society, TMA, and the American Medical Association (AMA) since 1982. Most recently, she has served on the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium. Dr. de Forster also has been a life member of the American Psychiatric Association and Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians, Bexar County Psychiatric Physicians, and the Texas Neurological Society.

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing nearly 46,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.